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WATERVILLE — The Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth & Community Center just announced their plans to construct a fully-enclosed arena. Building upon the legacies and community visions of Harold Alfond and Doug Sukeforth, the AYCC is partnering with local investors and community groups to construct this community recreation arena to offer one season (five months) of a full sheet of ice and three seasons of turfed surface for team sports.
The $7 million dollar project, located between the Alfond Municipal Pool and North Street Recreation Area Playground adjacent to the AYCC facility, is walking distance for more than 5,000 youth members attending the center’s programs annually. Focused on eliminating existing barriers to local skating and sports by ensuring that recreational and competitive skating opportunities are available to everyone, especially area youth in need, activities will include free skating lessons and public skating. In addition to local school ice hockey and field sports teams, a wide variety of rental opportunities will be available for birthday parties, events, tournaments, and inclement weather alternatives.
This community-based project would not have been possible without the foundational support of Doug & Rita Sukeforth’s donation, Colby College’s in kind gift, and incredible support from Central Maine Youth Hockey Association and the city. Their generosity paved the way for additional kick-off investments from Jamie and Sawyer Boulette, Fabian Oil, Golden Pond Wealth Management, Kennebec Savings Bank, and Sheridan Corporation, each of whom were honored at the unveiling with a custom hand made wooden hockey stick.
“Skating is part of Waterville’s heart and soul,” stated Andrew Silsby, president and CEO of Kennebec Savings Bank. “When Sukee Arena closed, access to ice for Waterville area youth became very limited. We believe this project not only brings back the ice (and every kid deserves ice), but we also believe it is going to play a major role in the continued renaissance of the City of Waterville and why we wanted to be a founding donor.”
“We are still in the silent phase of this capital project and are already 30 percent of the way towards our goal at $2.7 million in pledges,” stated Ken Walsh, AYCC CEO. “We have a ways to go and some pretty great naming opportunities still available, but our Volunteer Steering Committee team, headed by Paul Boudreau, has given us a great start.”
